5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Charlotte Pest Control Company

5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Charlotte Pest Control Company

Choosing a Charlotte pest control company might seem like a daunting task at first. You might turn to friends, family, or even the internet for opinions on who you should hire. It may come as a shock when I say that not all pest control companies are created equally. I’ll pause and let that one sink in for a bit. The truth is, as sensitive as the products are that we handle, it is imperative to verify that you’re making the right choice when hiring a pest control company. We’ve put together a list of 5 (uncommon) questions you should be asking on your quest to find the right Charlotte pest control company.

1. What Licenses Does the Company Actually Hold?

Not all companies hold licenses for everything. The state of North Carolina has different phases of licensing, and each phase requires an exam. Just because a company is considered a licensed pest control company, it’s still important to verify they are actually licensed for a specific service. For example, if you’re looking for Termite remediation, make sure the company has a license for wood destroying insects. The same thing holds true especially for Wildlife services. Wildlife services are not broadly wrapped into a pest control license. It is a separate license obtained and managed through the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

2. What credentials do your staff carry?

Not to be confused with the licensing the company holds, but rather, who does the company employ? Do they have any type of Entomologist on staff to help with insect biology and identification? When they say they will inspect your home for termites, who are they sending? Is it an NC accredited WDIR inspector or an unlicensed sales person? Don’t be afraid to ask a company about who works for them. For the record, City Wide Exterminating employs an NC/SC license holder for P(est)&W(ood) phases, an Associate Certified Entomologist, an NC Wildlife Damage Repair Agent, and 3 NC Accredited WDIR inspectors. We also have a mix of both registered technicians and certified applicators on staff.

3. What kind of training do your employees receive, and how often do they receive it?

Ongoing education and training are essential to the success of every employee in any industry. Regulations, products, application methods, and technology are some of the ever changing items we deal with in the pest control industry. City Wide Exterminating is fortunate enough to have one of only a few Associate Certified Entomologists in the Charlotte area on staff who holds weekly technician trainings that cover all of these items. In addition, our staff attends manufacturer-specific trainings to ensure proper use of and updates about their products. We also perform quality assurance checks following services and use those times as individual teaching opportunities in order to contribute to the success of each technician.

4. Can your technicians climb ladders?

As silly as this might sound, this can become a potential issue. If you have concerns for pest problems higher than 2 rungs on a ladder, make sure you verify that this will not be a problem for the person servicing your home. There are companies out there who restrict employees’ use of ladders, which in pest control, can leave some areas of your home unprotected. Most pests didn’t get the memo that they aren’t allowed to leave the ground.

5. What am I actually paying for?

Probably one of the most important questions you can ask as a consumer is, “What service am I actually getting?” I am truly amazed at the phone calls we get some days when a new client explains what service their past Charlotte pest control company provided at their home.

“They treated my house every year for termites.”

They probably didn’t. That’s actually illegal in the state of North Carolina. It’s also prohibited by product manufacturers and environmentally irresponsible. The previous company more than likely performed an annual termite inspection while under their bond. If they were treating every year for termites, I would strongly recommend looking for a company that doesn’t. Like us.

“They covered 79 different pests under their plan – including scorpions.”

That’s great! If you live in Arizona. Make sure you aren’t taking the bait on a good ol’ sales tactic. Some companies will list insects either not found in homes, insects never found in the Charlotte area, or even list an insect by multiple names just to make the deal look even sweeter. We actually lost a client to one of these tactics years ago, and despite our efforts to educate him, he took their bait. Have no fear, he has since returned to our services and has sworn to never leave. Do your research. If they’re not above padding their scope of work, proceed with caution.

“They always sprayed inside even if I wasn’t having a problem.”

Once major problems or infestations on the interior have been eradicated, it makes the most sense to focus on prevention where the bugs normally live – on the exterior. Despite what some companies claim, exterior treatments are highly successful. By spending even more time focusing on entry points and identifying harboring sites and nests on the outside, we can focus on stopping the bugs before they have a chance to invade inside.

Don’t just blindly trust any Charlotte pest control company (or service company for that matter). Do your research. Read the reviews. Call them. Ask the important questions and gauge the answers for yourself.

If you’re having a problem with pest, termite, or wildlife, or just want to chat about a second opinion, call City Wide Exterminating at 704.888.0911.

42 thoughts on “5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Charlotte Pest Control Company”

My wife thinks that there might be pests in our house, and I was thinking about hiring someone to come take a look. It’s interesting that you say to see what kind of training the employees go through. I know that I would want to know that they will be able to take care of everything effectively.

I do like that you encourage readers to ask about the credentials that the staff carried. After all, effective pest control does involve some powerful chemicals. You want to make sure that the service you hire is properly trained to work with them.

It is good to be aware that ongoing education and training are essential to each pest control employee. Hiring someone who is up to date with recent regulations and codes would be ideal. It would also be a good idea to ask the pest control company if their solutions are pet friendly.

Spring is here, and we have noticed a lot of bugs around our home. We are thinking of hiring a pest control company to come and take care of the problem before it gets any worse. As you said, when looking for a company its good to ask what licenses the company has, especially if you’re looking for a specific service.

Thanks for the tips for choosing a pest control company. My wife and I want to do everything we can to make sure out new home stays pest free, so we want to have somebody come and take care of any pests we might have. I like that you mentioned to find out the level of training that their employees receive. That way, you can make sure the people working on your home are qualified and experienced.

I think your suggestion to evaluate the employee’s training and credentials would be really important. I think I might be having some problems in my home with bed bugs, and I’ve heard they can be difficult to get rid of. I’ll definitely look at the employee’s qualifications in order to find a pest control company that can provide proper treatment to my problem.

In teh article you talked about looking for a pest control service that not only gets rid of the problem but takes preventative steps to help prevent the infestation from occurring again. I think my mother might have a rodent problem and I want to get it taken care of as soon as possible. I know it would comfort my mother a lot if preventative steps were taken and she wouldn’t have to worry about seeing a mouse again.

I have enjoyed reading the high quality pest control services of Charlotte Pest Control Company. Really, their entire services are more helpful and all the tips are more effective too. I am very glad to go through this kind of helpful article. Thanks for sharing a nice article.

I never knew how important it is to ask an ant removal service about what credentials their staff has to ensure they know insect biology and identification. My sister is moving into a home near the desert soon. Hopefully, she can use this info to find a company that can help make sure there are no ant problems around her garbage cans.

These are some interesting points, particularly about why it is so important to differentiate licenses from credentials. After all, with enough training, anyone can get a license to use poisons to kill pests. However, a company with the right credentials can figure out what kind of pests you have and use the right equipment to most effectively get rid of them.

Choosing the best pest control company is truly important. It will make you sure that you are not wasting your time, effort and most especially, your money. Before paying for a pest control service do some research first. Info posted here is really helpful.

I think it is great that a part of the article focuses on what kind of training the pest control employees receive. After all, in addition to a lot of physical exertion, pest control companies tend to have a lot of poison and other toxins to deal with the pests. Because of this, you want to make sure that the employees are properly trained to used the various chemicals correctly.

I thought your article was quite helpful for identifying qualities of a good pest control company. I thought it was particularly interesting to learn that staff credentials are quite different than licensing. This is helpful to know since I’ve never worked with a pest control service, but would like to get my house sprayed soon.

It’s good to know how to find an exterminator. I agree that I’d want to work with someone who is continuously training and learning new things. That would give me peace of mind that they know the best way to get rid of the pests!

I agree that you want to check a pest control service’s credentials. It would be good to consider this because it would show they are experienced. I’m looking for a pest service, so I’ll have to consider their credentials.

I agree that you would want to consider what kind of credentials a pest control service has. Finding things like licensing and experience would help ensure that they are qualified. I’m looking for a pest control service to help get rid of some termites in my yard, so I’ll have to consider their credentials.

Since we’ve seen some evidence of termites, my husband and I are wondering how to find the best exterminator to help us take care of it. So I like your tip to make sure that the company you are considering is actually licensed for the service you need. We will definitely have to start our search for a termite control service by first finding one that is licensed to perform exterminations.

Thanks for the tips for hiring a pest control company. I like how you said to ask what sort of training each technician gets. We only want the best working in our basement to get rid of the mice down there!

I like your comments on making sure that a pest control service is trained well and often. If I had rodents in my house, I would want to make sure that they really do get rid of any pests and know how to prevent the infestation from happening again. I think doing preventative measures is also a good idea, so I think that I should find a pest control company in my area that I can rely on to help me out with anything that I might need.

I agree that you want to consider what kind of licensing a pest control service has. I never knew that you needed different licenses to destroy different bugs. I was working under the house last week and I noticed some signs of termite damage while I was in my crawl space. When I find someone to come get rid of them before they do too much damage, I’ll have to remember to check their license first.

Thanks for advising that we find a pest control service with staff who have the proper credentials, like an entomologist or someone who is NC accredited. My husband and I have noticed ants in our home, so we are looking for the best company to help us take care of them. We’ll be sure to find a pest control company who has staff who are fully credentialed as well.

I appreciate your comment about how you should look into a pest control company that has good credentials. I also like how you said that they should provide the specific service what you are in need of. My parents are looking into pest control services because they have some bed bugs they want to get rid of.

Thanks for explaining some things to ask a pest control company. I didn’t consider it could be good to ask them about the licensing they have. I wonder if you should also look into the licenses they have to better understand how they received them.

That’s good to ask if employees can climb ladders to take care of pests, especially since I have a two-story home where wasps like to make their nests pretty high. I have seen a lot of wasp nest recently so this is a bit concerning since I have little children. I’ll have to find a good pest control company to come help take care of the problem.

I like that this mentioned you will want to make sure that the pest control company specializes on pests in your particular area, as they are more effective. I’ll also heard that it’s a good idea to check the business out on the BBB, as you can look at their ratings and some credentials. We’ve had a mouse problem in our neighborhood, so we’ll definitely use these tips when looking for a pest control company to help us.

Thanks for the tip about checking a pest control service’s license. It would be good to consider this because it would show that they are qualified as well. My husband and I are looking for a pest service, so we’ll have to check their license first.

Thanks for the tip about considering if a pest control service has well-trained employees. It would be good to consider this because it would show that they are going to do good work. My husband and I are looking for a pest service, so we’ll have to consider how well trained their employees are.

Thanks for the tip to ask about the kind of training the employees of the pest control service receive! It totally makes sense that you’d want to hire a service that keeps their employees up to date on the most current techniques and information. Then you’d be confident that your home is being treated for pests in the best way possible!

My wife and I have noticed that we’ve been having issues with some ants around our home. I think that being able to find a company who specializes in ant control would be perfect for us. I’m glad you listed some questions to find a good pest control service, including asking what you’re paying for. I’m going to have to use these questions and find some ant control options for us!

Thanks for the tip about finding a pest control service that is licensed to deal with the type of bug that you want to get rid of. It would be good to check this license before you hire them to make sure that they have experience. My husband and I need someone to spray our yard for ticks, so we’ll have to check their licenses first.

I found it interesting when you said that it is also important to ask their company if they allow their workers to climb ladders since some companies do not. It’s really helpful to know that because our neighbor just got an animal stuck in their tree, and their ladder is not high enough to reach the animal. So they plan to contact professionals first thing in the morning tomorrow. I will make sure to share this information with them to avoid hiring one that is not able to do the job. Thanks!

I found it interesting when you mentioned that it is also important to ask if the company allows their staff to climb ladders since there are some that restrict their employees from doing it. I will make sure that I ask about this because there are rodents on our roof that needs to be removed. My husband first noticed it when he was constructing a table in our backyard when a rodent came out of the roof and ran down through the pipes. Thanks for the tips!

My husband and I have noticed a lot of spiders and other bugs in our home lately and summer is coming, so we are thinking of hiring a pest control service to exterminate them for us. It is interesting that you say to find out what kind of training the employees receive and how often their receive it. I will definitely call a few different companies and find out about their certifications as well as if they are easy to work with.

I agree that you need to think about what type of training the employees have received. You want to make sure you find a service that you can trust. They should keep up with their training as well, like you said.

My house is filthy! I have bugs appearing out of nowhere, and I am sick of it. Thank you for letting me know when hiring a pest control service that I need to make sure they have their employees have training that keep them up-to-date. I want the best service possible to be rid of this horrible bug problem of mine.

I never knew that there are some companies that restrict the use of ladders which can limit the number of problems that an exterminator can handle. My wife and I have been trying to find an exterminator to take a look at some noises that we have been hearing in our attic. I will be sure to look into whether or not a pest control company can use ladders!

Thanks for mentioning how a pest control service should be licensed. I also like how you said that they should have well trained employees as well. My husband and I are looking into pest control services since we have roaches in our house.

One of the things I try to do when dealing with pests is find organic or non-toxic options for pest control. But this is really a good option for pest control! I have one doubt. Will it spreds much odour?

I had no idea that some companies will restrict the use of a ladder. This doesn’t make much sense to me since pests seem to find ways into a home through areas that are hard to access, like windows that are close to a ceiling. I will definitely ensure that the exterminator can climb on a ladder before hiring. Thank you!